Russia used Syria as live-fire training - US general

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast/BBC

An American general is accusing Russia of using its intervention in the Syrian civil war to prop up President Bashar al-Assad as a “live-fire training opportunity.” While Russia has denied that it targets civilians, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the U.S. Army commander for Europe, said Russia’s “disregard for civilian casualties... is not the conduct of a nation that wants to be treated like a superpower.” Russia’s government said Thursday that it has killed 35,000 fighters in the country since it first intervened. Hodges continued: “What we see in Syria of course is a demonstration of capabilities and using weapons that are not necessary.”

READ IT AT BBC NEWS

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Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/12/22/u-s-general-russia-used-syria-as-live-fire-training.html?via=desktop&source=copyurl

[Botany]

1. And Russia used the U.S. election as a "live fire" training as per their cyber attack skills.

n/t

[7962]

2. You can look back at my posts when Russia began active involvement

I said then that Russia was going to do whatever it wanted. They would NOT care what the world thinks of their tactics. They would take out civilians without any attempt to minimize casualties. They fight war the old fashioned way; destroy everything and kill everyone. It works, but its not "modern" warfare. And it works because they were fighting a disorganized force of patchwork rebels. The russian military is still a hollow force, but with a lot of troops and a lot of weapons its easy to kill a lot of weak opponents
And as predicted, they did exactly what they wanted and without consequence. Although they did expose some of their systems as poor quality in operation, much like their "navy".

[ck4829]

3. Not so different from Daesh

[Igel]

12. Not so different from Grozny.

Or Georgia. Or E Ukraine.

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Russia does the same thing and expects the same results--and gets them. Defeated enemies and a West that chides them and then says, "Now, since you've stopped and we want to trade with you, all's forgiven."

[inwiththenew]

4. Over the last 3-4 years Russia has used the world as a live fire training exercise

Crimea
Backing rebel groups in Ukraine who go on to shoot down a commercial airliner with Russian equipment
Syria
US Hacking

All done with next to no consequences.

[ck4829]

5. It goes back further than that

Georgia
Inside their own borders, look at Chechnya which until recently had an open rebellion against the rest of Russia (And still has a low level insurgency) but voted 107% for Putin in 2012
And using polonium against ex-employees of the state

[Mika]

8. Goes back further than that ...

Afghanistan.

Good thing the US has the high moral ground regarding attacking other poor nations.

[SubjectiveLife78]

6. Who or what is supposed to administer the consequences?

We don't want the US to be the world's policeman. Or at least I think we don't. We haven't before. Russia is on the UN Security Council. Russia had sanctions put on them, and those did...nothing?

[ck4829]

7. It's funny how these sanctions supposedly do nothing but the Kremlin wants to end them

[SubjectiveLife78]

9. They don't seem to have done too much to Putin

Or, not enough anyway. He's going around the world basically doing whatever the hell he wants.

[heaven05]

10. like the pre-WW2 germans

and italians did during the Spanish Civil War 1936-9. A fascist, Franco, won aided by the two fascist nations mentioned.

[moondust]

11. Syria would look much different today

had the "rebels" been supplied with some shoulder-fired SAMs to take down Syrian and Russian aircraft. That would have given the "rebels"/"freedom fighters" a fighting chance. But supply them to one group in that mess and some will be sold or given to ISIS and end up being used to take down U.S. aircraft.